Toolbox

ABSTRACT

A toolbox includes two shells and at least one shelf. The shells are pivotally connected to each other. At least one of the shells includes two racks formed thereon. The shelf is formed with two toothed blocks for elastic engagement with the racks so that the shelf can be moved relative to the shell along the racks and kept in a desired position relative to the shell.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

1. Field of Invention

The present invention relates to a toolbox and, more particularly, to a toolbox including a plurality of shelves.

2. Related Prior Art

There have been various toolboxes for storage and transportation of tools. The use of the toolboxes is however not without any problem. Sometimes, tools cannot be firmly held in the toolboxes. Sometimes, access to the tools in the toolboxes is not convenient. Sometimes, only a small number of types of tools can be stored in a toolbox.

To solve the foregoing problems, the present applicant has devised several toolboxes. The present applicant has been granted patents such as U.S. Pat. No. 7,331,455 and Taiwanese Patents M275079 and M299065 for some of the toolboxes.

The present invention is therefore intended to obviate or at least alleviate the problems encountered in prior art.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

It is the primary objective of the present invention to provide a toolbox for efficient storage of and convenient access to various tools.

To achieve the foregoing objective, the toolbox includes two shells and at least one shelf. The shells are pivotally connected to each other. At least one of the shells includes two racks formed thereon. The shelf is formed with two toothed blocks for elastic engagement with the racks so that the shelf can be moved relative to the shell along the racks and kept in a desired position relative to the shell.

Other objectives, advantages and features of the present invention will be apparent from the following description referring to the attached drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The present invention will be described via detailed illustration of the preferred embodiment referring to the drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a toolbox according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the toolbox taken along a line A-A shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the toolbox taken along a line B-B shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a shelf of the toolbox shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of two holders of the toolbox shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the holders shown in FIG. 5 attached to the shelf shown in FIG. 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a toolbox 10 according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. The toolbox 10 includes two shells 11, at least one bin 15, shelves 30 and holders 60. Each of the shells 11 includes an edge pivotally connected to that of the other shell 11 by a hinge and an opposite edge that can be locked to that of the other shell 11 by a locking device 12. With the hinge, the shells 11 can be pivoted between an open position and a closed position. With the locking device 12, the shells 11 can be kept in the closed position.

Each of the shells 11 further includes two long walls 13, two short walls 13, a panel 14 and two racks 20. The long walls 13 extend parallel to each other on the panel 14. Similarly, the short walls 13 extend parallel to each other on the panel 14. Each of the racks 20 extends on a respective one of the long walls 13.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, each of the racks 20 includes two recesses 21 defined therein and teeth 22 formed on a side thereof. The teeth 22 extend toward the panel 14.

Referring to FIG. 4, each of the shelves 30 includes a panel 31, two lateral walls 32, a rear wall 33, a front all 34, partitions 35, two flanges 37 and four toothed blocks 23. The lateral walls 32 extend parallel to each other on the panel 31.

The rear wall 33 extends parallel to the front wall 34 on the panel 31. The rear wall 33 is higher than the front wall 34. The front wall 34 includes cutouts 38 defined therein.

The partitions 35 extend parallel to the lateral walls 32 and each other on the panel 31 so that chambers 36 are defined by the lateral walls 32 and the partitions 35. Each of the chambers 36 is in communication with a respective one of the cutouts 38.

Each of the flanges 37 extends on a respective one of the lateral walls 32 so that the flanges 37 extend opposite to each other.

Two of the toothed blocks 23 are formed on one of the lateral walls 32 while the other toothed blocks 23 are formed on the other lateral wall 32. Each of the toothed blocks 23 includes teeth 24 formed thereon so that the teeth 24 extend away from the panel 31.

Further referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, there is shown only one of the shells 11 and one of the shelves 30. The toothed blocks 23 of the shelf 30 can be moved through the recesses 21 in the racks 20 of the shell 11. Hence, the toothed blocks 23 can be moved beyond the racks 20 and the panel 31 can be in contact with the panel 14. Then, the shelf 30 can be moved relative to the shell 11 along the racks 20. Hence, the teeth 24 of the toothed blocks 23 can be engaged with the teeth 22 of the racks 20 to keep the shelf 30 in a desired position relative to the shell 11. In this position, the distance of the valleys between the teeth 24 from the panel 14 is identical to the distance of the peaks of the teeth 22 from the panel 14.

Referring to FIG. 4, each of the lateral walls 32 includes a pocket 40 defined therein near the rear wall 33 and a boss 41 formed thereon near the front wall 34. Each of the partitions 35 includes a pocket 40 defined therein near the rear wall 33 and two opposite bosses 41 formed thereon near the front wall 34. Two protrusions 42 extend from a wall of each of the pockets 40 so that the gap between the protrusions 42 is smaller than the width of the pocket 40.

Referring to FIG. 5, each of the holders 60 includes a main socket 50, a minor socket 56, an axle 51, a bushing 52, two tabs 54, two slits 58, and a handle 57. The main socket 50 includes a space 55 defined therein. The axle 51 extends from a side of the main socket 50 while the bushing 52 extends from an opposite side of the main socket 50. The bushing 52 includes a cavity 53 defined therein. Each of the tabs 54 is defined by a respective one of the slits 58 that extends along an inverted U-shaped path in a respective one of the sides of the main socket 50. The tabs 54 are elastic. The minor socket 56 is formed on the main socket 50. The minor socket 56 includes a space 55 defined therein. The handle 57 extends from the minor socket 56.

Referring to FIG. 6, each of the main sockets 50 is placed in a respective one of the chambers 36 so that the tabs 54 are pressed toward each other by the corresponding bosses 41 for pinching a tool bit. The bushing 52 of each of the holders 60 is placed in a respective one of the pockets 40 after it is forced past the corresponding protrusions 42. The axle 51 of each of the holders 60 is placed in the bushing 52 of an adjacent one of the holders 60. Thus, each holder 60 is pivotally connected to the corresponding shelf 30. Each holder 60 can be pivoted relative to the shelf 30 by manipulating the handle 57 thereof.

The present invention has been described via the detailed illustration of the preferred embodiment. Those skilled in the art can derive variations from the preferred embodiment without departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the preferred embodiment shall not limit the scope of the present invention defined in the claims. 

1. A toolbox including: two shells pivotally connected to each other, wherein at least one of the shells includes two racks formed thereon; at least one shelf formed with two toothed blocks for elastic engagement with the racks so that the shelf can be moved relative to the shell along the racks and kept in a desired position relative to the shell.
 2. The toolbox according to claim 1, wherein each of the racks includes at least one recess, wherein each of the toothed blocks can be moved through the recess of a respective one of the racks so that the toothed blocks can be moved beyond the racks, and that the shelf can be in contact with the shell, and that the shelf can be moved relative to the shell along the racks, and that the teeth of the toothed blocks can be engaged with the teeth of the racks to keep the shelf in a desired position relative to the shell.
 3. The toolbox according to claim 2, wherein each of the racks includes teeth, wherein each of the toothed blocks includes at least one tooth, wherein the distance of valleys between the teeth of the toothed blocks from the shell is identical to the distance of the peaks of the teeth of the racks from the panel when the toothed blocks are engaged with the racks.
 4. The toolbox according to claim 3, further including holders pivotally connected to the shelf.
 5. The toolbox according to claim 4, wherein the shelf includes: a panel; two lateral walls formed on the panel, wherein each of the toothed blocks is formed on a respective one of the lateral walls; partitions formed between the lateral walls on the panel so that the partitions and the lateral walls define chambers for containing the holders.
 6. The toolbox according to claim 5, wherein the shelf includes: a rear wall formed between the lateral walls on the panel; and a front wall extending between the lateral walls on the panel and including cutouts in communication with a respective one of the chambers.
 7. The toolbox according to claim 5, wherein each of the holders includes: a main socket pivotally connected to the shelf so that it can be pivoted into and out of a respective one of the chambers; and a minor socket formed on the main socket.
 8. The toolbox according to claim 7, wherein each of the lateral walls and partitions includes a pocket defined therein two protrusions extending from a wall of the pocket, wherein each of the holders includes an axle formed on a side of the main socket and a bushing formed on an opposite side of the main socket, wherein the bushing of each of the holders is kept in a respective one of the pockets by the corresponding protrusions, wherein the axle of each of the holders is placed in the bushing of an adjacent one of the holders so that each of the holders is pivotally connected to the shelf.
 9. The toolbox according to claim 7, wherein each of the holders includes a handle extending from the minor socket so that each holder can be pivoted relative to the shelf by manipulating the handle.
 10. The toolbox according to claim 7, wherein each of the lateral walls of the shelf includes a boss formed thereon, wherein each of the partitions includes two opposite bosses formed thereon, wherein each of the holders includes two tabs each extending from a respective side of the main socket, wherein the tabs are pressed toward each other by two adjacent ones of the bosses for pinching a tool bit when the main socket of each of the holders is placed in a respective one of the chambers.
 11. The toolbox according to claim 10, wherein each of the holders includes two slits each extending along an inverted U-shaped path, thus defining a respective one of the tabs. 